Man City halve asking price for overlooked star as former club take note

Otamendi.Aguero.Man_.City_.TEAMtalk

Manchester City have cut their asking price for Nicolas Otamendi by almost half in an effort to offload him, according to reports.

The past two seasons have been difficult for Otamendi, whose playing time has significantly dropped in the years since he was named in the 2017-18 PFA Team of the Year.

Otamendi made just 18 starts in the Premier League this season. That was, admittedly, an increase on what he managed the season before. But in truth, he would not have played so often had it not been for Aymeric Laporte’s injury.

What’s more, Pep Guardiola sometimes preferred midfielders Fernandinho and Rodri to him at the back.

And with Nathan Ake unlikely to be the only defensive reinforcement coming into the Etihad Stadium this summer, things are unlikely to get any easier for Otamendi.

 

The Argentina international has two years left on his contract. But with City considering a move for Kalidou Koulibaly as well, it appears Otamendi has fallen out of favour.

Therefore, The Sun claim that City are actively looking to get rid of him this summer. And they are so eager to do so, that they have slashed their asking price.

Koulibaly’s current club, Napoli, have been in talks themselves, as part of a potential cash-plus-player swap. In those talks, City rated Otamendi as being worth around £15m.

That fee is less than half of what they originally paid to sign him from Valencia in 2015. And now it could halve again, as The Sun say City are now willing to sell Otamendi for just £8m.

That’s amid interest from his former club, Valencia. A return to La Liga is an option for the 32-year-old, despite him previously only spending one year there.

His hefty £100,000-per-week wages would not be a stumbling block to Valencia. However, Napoli remain in the hunt as well.